Mint Tea, Mountain Peaks, and Momentous Goodbyes
July 19, 2025
One final hello from SPM 3B!
After arriving at Mohammad’s and immersing ourselves into the newfound culture of Morocco, we spent the afternoon swimming and playing games outside! Traveling to a new continent mid-trip gave us a unique opportunity to really reflect on the first half of our trip while looking forward into the second half. Our time in Spain was filled with so many incredible memories, bringing lots of excitement for our time in Morocco! Our first evening ended on a high note with a delicious dinner followed by Moonup under the stars, setting the tone for the days to come as we rested up for tomorrow’s journey.
Day 9 began with our first Moroccan breakfast, delicious homemade pancakes and mint tea! As we ate our pancakes and sipped our tea, Mohammed joined us to explain the art of haggling, preparing us for a full morning in the vibrant Marrakesh markets. Our first stop was an herbal shop full of organic oils and spices. They let us test out different oils, perfumes, smelling crystals, and spices! Having this as our first stop was the perfect entrance into the culture of the markets and the goods sold in Marrakesh. We then made our way into souks where small shops full of different goods lined the maze-like alleyways. Bea became a pro haggler, negotiating deals in every shop to help all of the girls get the best deals! The morning flew by as everyone embraced the unique culture of the souks and picked up goods to remember our trip. Cate even found a new tote bag to make sure she could get all of her new purchases home! After a successful morning in the markets, we returned back to Mohammed’s for lunch and jumped in the pool to cool down from the blazing heat of Morocco. After our relaxing swim, we shifted gears begin prepping for Mount Toubkal. We laid out our gear and packed up our day packs for the next three days on the mountain. As we walked through the plan for our summit attempt, nerves and excitement began to fill the group, building anticipation for the experience we get to have together. After we wrapped up packing, we stepped back into the Moroccan culture and began our cooking class. Henry jumped in, helping roll out the Moroccan pancakes and homemade meatballs! We enjoyed tea time with the pancakes we made and later had our tajin chicken and meatballs for dinner. Sitting down to enjoy the food we’d made together gave us a new appreciation for the role food plays in creating connection and community. We wrapped up our meal together and circled up for moonup on the terrace. After playing the tortilla game and talking about the pieces of life that have brought us to where we are now, we shifted our focus to the mountain ahead of us and shifted our mindset to prepare to climb Toubkal in the morning.
We woke up on Day 10 ready to get to the mountain and start our climb! After having a big breakfast to fuel up for our first day of trekking in Morocco, we loaded our bags in the van and started the drive to the base of Mount Toubkal. The entire group took advantage of the drive and took a pre-climb nap, so we arrived feeling well-rested and ready to go. Under clear skies and sunshine, we gathered our gear and got a quick lesson on how to use trekking poles before setting off on the trail. We stopped at a mountain hut along the way for lunch to refuel our bodies before continuing up the mountain. With base camp finally in sight, we trekked through a few more switch backs and finally arrived! We settled into our big bunk room and sat down for tea and popcorn before beginning dinner. We closed out the evening with Moonup, reflecting on the journey so far and the challenge ahead.
Day 11 started early as we put our hiking boots back on, ate breakfast, and grabbed our poles to head back on the mountain. The steady climb to the top quickly began as we trekked through boulders and up through the first big pass. At our first break, Thomas took on the weight of “the rock”, carrying it the rest of the way for the group. We pushed through the steel gravel switchbacks, making our way through the second big pass. As we came around the final corner of the last switch back, the summit marker was finally in our view and the final stretch began. We continued our ascension and made it all the way to 4,167 meters where the kids began to run, hitting the monolith one by one in celebration of making a full summit! With all 14 of us on the top, we gathered under the Mount Toubkal marker and took a moment to look around at how far we had come, not just up the mountain, but also as a team within the past 11 days. We shouted out and clapped and snapped before finally opening “the rock.” After carrying “the rock” for the entirety of the trip, the duct tape brick, serving as a metaphor for teamwork and trust, was finally revealed to be a bag filled with snickers and lollipops! Our fearless LOD’s, Charlie and Logan, who led us to the top of the maintains, revealed their matching green moondance shirts as we sat upon the summit eating candy, embracing the view of the Atlas Mountains, and taking photos with our Moondance flag! While we wish our time on the top could have lasted forever, we knew we were only half way done and still had a long way down the mountain. We carefully began our decent, cruising down the mountain at a record pace. Trail conversations kept spirits high, and before long, we were back at base camp enjoying a well-earned lunch. After eating lunch together, everyone headed back into the bunk room for a post-summit nap. Our restful afternoon consisted of card games, more candy, and popcorn. We wrapped up the day with dinner and a heartfelt Moonup, reflecting on the unforgettable experience we’d just shared. Every single member of our group pushed themselves outside of their comfort zone, resulting in a monumental accomplishment of submitting the tallest mountain in North Africa! We could not be more proud of the effort they put forth and the way they showed up for each other throughout the day!
While we had completed our summit, Day 12 was still full of challenge as we made our final decent down the mountain. Molly and Jack, serving as our LOD’s, led us down the mountain and into the town of Imlil. Along the way, we paused to take a group photo at the official Toubkal National Park sign, taking a moment to mark the incredible journey we had just completed. We then made our way through the town and down to the riverbank where a rug and pillows were laid out for us under the trees. We sat down to enjoy tea before having some food to officially celebrate being done with trekking! We listened to music and enjoyed having a moment to rest before walking up to our riad. After we all showered and changed, we went into the town of Imlil for an ice cream stop! We popped into a few market shops before stumbling upon a rug shop. After having the shop owner lay out countless rugs on the floor, Cannon found a pink and white one she couldn’t live without! We loved watching them buy such meaningful pieces they will have as forever reminders of this trip! We then went back to the riad where we sat in a dinig room full of windows and watched the sunset over the town for our final dinner in Morocco. Following dinner, we made our way to the rooftop for moonup. We opened with a game of Down by the Hanky Panks, where Grant dominated and took first place. We enjoyed sitting under the stars together and embraced the last bit of the Moroccan culture we had the privilege of experiencing.
Day 13 marked our second day of international travel as we made our way back to Spain for our final night together! We arrived to the Marrakesh airport sporting our matching gowns and bid farewell to Morocco as we boarded our flight! After touching down in Spain, we made our wait to the center of Madrid where we quickly settled into our hostel so we could head out to explore the city. We immediately went to Las Bravas, a traditional tapas restaurant that has been rooted in Madrid since 1933! It was the perfect spot for our banquet dinner together, capturing the essence of culture and community we have spent the past two weeks building. We tried their famous Patatas Bravas as well as dishes of shrimp, octopus, pig ear and lots more! This authentic taste of Spain brought us back to the culture our trip began in and felt like the perfect full circle moment. Our exploration of the city then continued as we walked down Gran Vía, admiring the stunning architecture while also making a few pit stops in some shops. We then had to find a Gelateria for one final ice cream stop. After eating our ice cream on the streets of Madrid, we wandered over to Plaza Mayor where took pictures and talked about the history of the square before making our way towards the Royal Palace. We then circled up for our final moonup where Sophia and Pierce served as our final LODs, closing off our two weeks together with a moonup full reflection and gratitude. While Moonup had come to a close, we still had one final surprise before closing out banquet night. On our walk back to our hostel, we surprised the kids by stoping at San Gínes, one of the oldest and most iconic Chocolaterías in all of Madrid! We picked up their famous chocolate and churros and took them back to the hostel to share together before heading to bed!
As we sit in the airport saying goodbye to SPM 3B after two unforgettable weeks together, it’s hard not to pause and reflect on just how far we’ve all come, individually and as a group. What started as a group of strangers quickly transformed into strong friendships full of laughter, support, and shared experiences that have left a lasting mark on each of us. Over the past 14 days, we’ve crossed borders, climbed mountains, literally and figuratively, and embraced new cultures. We’ve seen each person step outside their comfort zone, whether through a courageous summit push, navigating new cities, trying unfamiliar foods, or simply showing up for each other in moments big and small. Watching strong friendships form from shared adventures, silly moments, and late-night conversations has been one of the greatest privileges of these two weeks. We are so proud of each and every person in this group and hope their growth only continues as they head back home. SPM 3B, thank you for the laughter, the growth, and the constant adventure. We hope you will hold these two weeks close to your heart for a long time to come!
Signing off for summer,
Cassidy & Sebastian
Spain to Morocco: The Adventure Continues!
July 13, 2025
Hello from Morocco!
We made our way through the winding entry of the Picos de Europa where we were warmly welcomed to Vegabaño, a quaint mountain Refugio nestled beneath the mountainside. We took in the views of the mountains towering over us as we settled into our bunk room and admired the simplicity and charming nature of the Refugio. We sat down for a dinner of different soups, breads, chicken, and rice followed by dessert. After finishing up dinner, we made our way back outside and gathered in our crazy creaks in one of the most scenic Moonup spots! Bea and Logan embraced the vast scenery and led a meaningful Moonup as the sunlight faded into a full moon. The mountains were glowing under the moonlight when we finally made our way inside to get some sleep before our first day of hiking.
We woke up on Day 5 and had breakfast before putting on our hiking shoes and heading up to Jarios Peak. Pierce and Cannon served as our LODs (leaders of the day), setting the pace and keeping the group motivated the entire way up! We completed our first summit surrounded by views in every direction. We enjoyed some time at the summit having snacks, taking pictures, and celebrating the accomplishment of our first summit together before we began our descent. The hike down was full of trail talk and singing songs to keep up the energy on the way down. Once we made it back to the Refugio, we sat at the picnic tables for our post hike lunch. Henry stumbled upon a soccer ball and showed us his juggling skills while Jack bached at a chicken 6 or 7 times. We then continued our hike down the rest of the mountain and back into a small village where we hopped in the vans to head to our next destination, another small town called Cain! After getting to Cain, we tasted local prosciuttos and cheeses from the market before getting ice cream and jumping in the river to cool off after our long day. The cold, rushing water was exactly what we needed after a fully day in the heat. While everyone got ready for dinner, Charlie broke out a deck of cards and a few of us learned how to play Egyptian Rat Slap! The game got intense as more members of our group joined in! We then showered and had dinner and Moonup before starting a game of manhunt through the village. Sophia showed off her running skills as she sprinted through the town and tried to score for her team.
Day 6 began with breakfast at our albergue in Cain before starting our trek right from the front door! We walked along the Cares Gorge trail, a path edging along a cliff side in the valley between two mountains. The trail winds through the valley opening the views to new mountain ranges at every turn. Thomas led the hike and took his time at the front to get to know our amazing outfitter! After a few hours, we finally made our way to the end of the trail where we sat down to eat our sandwiches before heading into the tranquil town of Sotres. We arrived at our next albergue and played a few card games, sat outside to enjoy the view, and took showers before exploring. We made our way into a few local markets where the kids bought candy, drinks, and even some hand knit wool socks! They all gathered outside one of the shops getting to know a sweet local woman who has spent all 82 years of her life in the small town. She was thrilled to get to meet kind, young students who appreciate the quaint nature of her hometown. We headed over to a local restaurant for a dinner of Spanish gazpacho, patatas, and a whole lot of chicken wings! A storm rolled in and flooded the streets with hail giving us an unexpected dinner view. Once the weather calmed down, we walked back through the town and settled into our Albergue for Moonup before heading to sleep.
We woke up on Day 7 for our final day of hiking in Spain! After having breakfast, we drove up through the rolling hills above Sotres. Grant and Molly served as our LODs and led our group along the trail! We hiked through lush green mountains and sat above the clouds and they slowly faded across the sky. We made our way up to a small Refugio situated beneath the mountains next to old mines. We sat down for a snack and looked out over the mountains and oceans before continuing on our loop. As we headed down, we walked through dried out basins now full of green grass and passed by countless cows and mountain goats. After making our way back around to the front of the mountain, we headed back to our albergue one final time to pack up and shower before beginning our travel to Morocco. We had lunch before loading the vans and heading back to Madrid. We stoped for snacks along the way before making it back to the city. We picked up pizzas and ate dinner in a nearby park. As we walked back to our hotel, Cate ran into some friends from home, reminding us just how small the world truly is. After grabbing our crazy creeks, we made our way back to the park for our final Moonup in Spain! We talked about our intentions for the second half of the trip before finishing off the night with Mcflurries to celebrate a successful first half! We packed up our bags and tucked into bed to get some rest before our big travel day to Morocco!
Day 8 started off strong with breakfast before heading straight to the airport! All of the kids safely made it through customs and boarded our international flight with plenty of sweet treats to last throughout the day. After touching down in Morocco, we took a few moments to embrace the opportunity we now have to see a totally different culture than the one we have spent the past 7 days in. We piled into our van and glanced out the windows as we drove through Marrakesh and to Mohammed’s house where we sat down for our first Moroccan meal!
As we enter into this next chapter of our trip, we are overwhelmed with joy for the experiences we shared together in Spain. From getting to enjoy the culture of small town to taking in the vast views of the Picos, every aspect of it has encouraged this group to buy into the Moondance culture and bond with one another. The energetic nature of this group has brought a new sense of life to this trio and reminded us the pure purpose of getting to share these types of experiences. We have absolutely loved getting to see them embrace every aspect of the trip and cannot wait to see the ways our time in Morocco with strength this group dynamic and create memories that will truly last a lifetime! Thank you for giving us the privilege of leading your kids on this journey, we are eternally grateful to get to know them and share these experiences with them!
Until next time,
Cassidy & Sebastian
Hey mom and dad!!!
We got to Morocco and I just wanted to say thanks so much for giving me such a good opportunity to be here we’re having a lot of fun! Love and miss y’all!!
💛CHARLIEEE
I’m having so much fun.Thank y’all so much for sending me here these people are great.Love y’all-Thomas
Hey mom and dad!!!
I’m having the best time!! We got to Morocco today and I wanted to thank you for this amazing opportunity y’all gave me to experience this once and a lifetime trip. I am forever grateful! -bea
Hey mom and dad I’m still having a great time and everything is amazing here in Morocco and I just wanted to say thank you for everything and allowing me to go on trips like this. Love you💯💯❤️🔥-Henry
Happy belated birthday Dad!!!!!! Sad to miss your day but hope it was a great one! Tell mom Mackenzie and tanner I love and miss them (and sassy)! Thank y’all both so much for giving me the opportunity to go on this trip I am having so much fun and can’t wait to tell y’all all about it! Y’all are the best and I love you!❤️ – Cannon
Hey Mom and Dad,
I’m having so much fun in Spain and Morocco. We just arrived in Morocco and house is really cool. We are summiting mount Toubkal in a few days. Thank y’all so much for letting me go on this trip. I can’t wait to see y’all in Paris.
-Grant
Hey mom and dad,
I having a blast so far and I hope y’all are having a great time as well. We just got to Morocco and it’s so different than anything I have ever seen. It’s very dry but there is a pool in the compound we are staying. We will summit mount Toubkal soon, I’m nervous but excited! Love y’all!
-Pierce
Hey mom and dad,
I am having so much fun so far and I wanted to thank you for letting me have this opportunity. This is such a great experience and I have learned so much. We have hiked and are now going to mount Toubkal! Love y’all and tell Mclaine and John I say hi and I love them!!
-Cate
Hey mom and dad,
I’m having a really great time and today is our first day at Morocco and it is so so beautiful we should def pull up to Africa😀 we did some hikes in Spain that were beautiful and the first one was defiantly tiring but insanely beautiful! And happy happy birthday dad, hope you had the best day love and miss you loads!!! Also could you check the balance on my card and potentially add more money if you haven’t? Thank you!!! Love you guys and say hi to everyone and friends if you see them and grace😘
-Molly
Hi mom and dad, just made it to Morocco today and it is beautiful! I wanted to thank you guys for giving me this opportunity, experience two so different cultures that are both so amazing has been like nothing I’ve ever seen. I miss you guys will see you in a week!
-Logan
Hi mom and dad we are in Morocco 🇲🇦 and it’s pretty cool everything is different and it’s a really cool experience. Thank you guys for letting me come it’s a lot of fun
Jack
Hi mom and dad! We made it to Morocco, I’m in Africa!!! It is very different here but so cool and beautiful. Miss you and love you and thank you so much for this opportunity to go on this trip and experience these amazing and different countries. See you soon!
Love, Sophia
Hola from Asturias!!
July 9, 2025
The past few days have flown by as SPM 3B arrived in Spain and kicked off our time together! As soon as everyone made it off their flights, Grant was the first to hop in line for a cappuccino and croissant, immediately adapting to the new culture.
We then split up in our vans to start the drive to Northern Spain. The van rides were full of riddles and card games to kill time and get to know each other before we made a quick pit stop to have Bocadillas for lunch and continue our drive. We were finally able to see the coastline as we entered into Llanes, a small beach town filled with colorful buildings and cobblestone streets. We settled into our apartments for the night and the boys broke out the spike ball net while the girls started making friendships bracelets. Pierce started coming up with nicknames for the group as everyone spent the afternoon getting to know one another. We eventually made our way into the town to explore and have our very first dinner together! When we arrived back at our apartments after dinner, we circled up in our crazy creeks, admiring the overlooking view of the mountains, and had moonup. We talked about our intentions for our next two weeks together and how the Moondance philosophy will guide us. We wrapped up our first night together to get some sleep in preparation for all that is yet to come.
While it was technically Day 3 of our trip, our first full day together was packed full of exciting activities that started bringing everyone out of their shells. After a quick breakfast, we drove into the mountains and geared up in our wetsuits before walking into the canyons. Our canyoneering guide, Rio, showed us the best natural slides and jumps as we made our way through the ice cold water. At the very end, Jack hit a huge cannonball at our favorite cliff jumping spot. We then went back into Llanes where we had lunch at a local pizzeria. While a few interesting pizzas made their way on the table, like the spaghetti and cheeseburger ones, Molly stuck with her favorite type and had a ham and pineapple pizza! Once we finished eating lunch, we wandered through the streets of Llanes until finding the perfect little ice cream shop to surprise our group with our first ice cream stop! Cannon tried the homemade Oreo ice cream on a cone and it did not disappoint! We continued our walk around the town and looked in all different types of stores and souvenir shops. Cate found a beautiful ring to get to remember our time in Llanes while others found patches, pins, and stickers! We finished up our town visit before driving a few minutes away to a cliffside beach for our an afternoon of surfing! With our wetsuits on for the second time in one day, we paddled out between the mountains and began catching waves. After a few hours in the water, we left the beach to go shower and get ready for dinner. We all sat together outside for dinner before turning the night over to Charlie and Henry to lead moonup as our very first LODs. They truly stepped up as leaders and set the tone for the rest of the trip!
Day 4 began with another quick breakfast before we headed to a new beach to surf again! Sophia loved the views as we walked down the grassy stone staircase and entered what felt like a movie scene. Thomas got some zinc from the surf instruct and painted it under his eyes to look like a legit surfer. We paddled out and everyone sat past the break to really take in the views. Logan absolutely crushed it, catching one wave after another. He was the last one in the water and was a clear natural. We took a moment to enjoy the last of our beach views before heading onto our next adventure. After making our way out of Llanes, we began our drive into the mountains. Around half way through, we pulled off on the side to a Via Ferratta course built into the wall of one of the Picos De Europa mountain ranges. Bea led the group and was the first one across the bridge, up the ladders, and on the zip lines! We couldn’t have asked for better weather for a day full of activities, and since the sun was out, we surprised the kids with ice cold coca colas after getting off the course and jumping back in the vans. We are currently winding up the mountain roads towards our first mountain Refugio where we will stay tonight before beginning the trekking section of the Spain portion of the trip tomorrow!! We are so excited for all that is yet to come and to have the chance to be with this group. We have no doubt that the next week will be full of lots of love and laughter and we cannot wait to share more soon!
Until next time,
Cassidy + Sebastian
Now for some shout outs from the group:
Hey mom and dad, I love and miss you! Having so much fun is Spain!!
-Cate
Hi mom and dad!! I am having so much fun in Spain, with surfing and via feratta, and more! It is soo pretty here
-Sophia
Hey mom and dad, having a blast in Spain! Love you guys
-Logan
Hey mom and dad Spain is super fun and I’m having a great time
-Henry
Hey mom and dad Spain has been really fun I love the surfing and via feratta. Miss y’all
-Grant
Hey mom and dad!! Spain has been so amazing and very different from the first time!! We went surfing and had a blast!! Tell the rest of the family I said hey. And as promised hey lulah Ruth Lovelace Ava Arden and charlotte!! Miss y’all and can’t wait to come home and tell y’all about everything!!
-Charlie
hey mom and dad I’m having a great time and love Spain so much! Thank you for sending me on this trip.
-Bea
hey mom and dad, I’m having so much fun in Spain it’s so so beautiful and all the activities have been great!! Also very ones so fun!!! Love you guys!!💗
-Molly
hey mom and dad Spain is amazing and so beautiful I’m having so much fun and love all the activities!! Love and miss y’all tons❤️
-Cannon
Thanks mom and dad for sending me here. Its awesome 😎
-Thomas
Hey family I am having a lot of fun it’s really cool out here.✌️
-Jack
Hey mom and dad, I have been having an awesome time so far!
-Pierce
Safe Arrival!
July 7, 2025
Hello Spain + Morocco Families!
We heard from our leaders this morning that the group has landed safely in Spain! The group is so excited to start their adventure together!
Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next week! This will allow you to follow along with the trip. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!
-Moondance HQ
